Ukrainian professional football club
This article is about football club. For other uses, see
Zorya
.
Articles on FC Trudovye Rezervy Lugansk or FC Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk redirect here.
Football club
FC Zorya Luhansk
(
Ukrainian
:
ФК ≪Зоря≫ Луганськ
[zo?r??
l????n?s?k]
) is a
Ukrainian
football
team. Zorya Luhansk is based in the city of
Luhansk
, Ukraine. However, because of the
Russo-Ukrainian War
, the team plays its games at
Slavutych-Arena
in
Zaporizhzhia
.
The modern club as a team of masters was established on 10 April 1964 by the
Football Federation of the Soviet Union
merging the October Revolution Plant (
Luhanskteplovoz
) sports club Zorya and the Luhansk regional branch of the "
Trudovye Rezervy
" sports society. In 1972, as Zaria Voroshilovgrad, the club became the first provincial Soviet club to win the
Soviet Top League
title. Today, the modern club considers its predecessor the football team of the Luhansk Steam Locomotive Plant
[1]
(October Revolution Steam Locomotive Plant, today
Luhanskteplovoz
) that was established back in 1923, however due to poor performance of the factory team in the 1950s which played at republican level, the playing record of "Trudovye Rezervy" which played at all-Union level is also considered part of the club's history.
The club is a flagman club in
Luhansk Oblast
and one of three Ukrainian football "teams of masters" that won the
Soviet Top League
. The name
Zorya
roughly means "dawn" in Ukrainian or more precisely the
red skies
phenomenon.
History
[
edit
]
History of Zorya Luhansk
Metalist
(1923)
| | | | |
| | | | | Dynamo Sports Club
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Dzerzhynets Sports Society
(1936?1941)
| | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Dynamo Sports Club
|
Dzerzhynets Sports Society
(1948)
| | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trudovi Rezervy
(1949)
| | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Trudovi Rezervy
(1950?1951)
|
Avanhard Sports Society
(1954?1959)
| | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | Trudovi Rezervy
(1957)
|
Zorya Sports Club
(1960)
| | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Zorya Luhansk
(1964)
| | | | |
|
The modern professional team of Zorya Luhansk, during its Soviet period known also as Zaria Voroshilovgrad/Lugansk and for a short period Zorya-MALS, was created in 1964 as the city's team of masters by merging the factory team with another team of masters "Trudovye Rezervy". Before 1964, the factory team played mostly in republican competitions of the
Ukrainian SSR
.
The history of football in the city of Luhansk begins in the early 20th century.
The first Luhansk team was created in the Russian Empire in 1908 when the workers of the
Russischen Maschinenbaugesellschaft Hartmann
(today "Luhansk Locomotive") created the "Society of Rational Recreations". One of the disciplines was a game of kickball headed by the Czech specialist Henrich Dr?evikovski from
Prague
, who originally was an instructor of gymnastics of the factory's ministerial school. That team played its games and conducted its training on the empty lot near the factory where today the sport hall "Zorya" is located.
The first mention of games involving the Luhansk team dates back to 1911. In 1913 in
Kostyantynivka
the first regional football league of
Donets basin
was created. During World War I and the subsequent Soviet and German hostilities, the league was suspended until 1920, by which time the situation in the region had stabilized.
In 1922 in the city of
Luhansk
was built a new stadium, possibly "on the personal order" of
Vladimir Lenin
and later named after him. In 1923 the workers of the Luhansk
steam train factory
of the
October Revolution
(hence ? the club's logo with a locomotive) organized their football team
"Metalist"
which became the forerunner of today's Zorya. The following year there the championship of the newly created
Luhansk okruha
(
district
) was created. In the final game the collective city team of Luhansk was victorious against their rivals from the city of
Snizhne
, winning the title after extra time 1?0. In 1926, the All-Ukrainian Committee of the Mining Workers' council organized a team of Donbass miners, players from
Kadiivka
, for a tour in Germany (
Weimar Republic
). There the Donbass team won four of their eight games. The following year an international game took place in Luhansk, in which the city team was challenged by their rivals from
Austria
. The Donbas players lost the game.
In 1936 the football teams
"Metalist"
and
"Dynamo"
(KGB team) merged to form the united Luhansk city-team which the following year was named
Dzerzhynets
.
[3]
The name
"Dzerzhynets"
derives from the steam locomotive that was produced at the
steam train factory
FD
?
"
Felix Dzerzhinsky
"
.
[3]
That year
"Dzerzhynets"
reached 3rd place in the Ukrainian second league.
In 1937
"Dzerzhynets"
won Ukrainian's second league and was promoted to the first. Moreover, it reached the 1/8 final of the Ukrainian Сup and the 1/16 final of the
Soviet Cup
. The team consisted of the following players: Klad'ko (coach), Hrebenyuk, Svidyns'kyi, Mazanov, Morozov, Krasyuk,
Nosko
, Movchan, Brovenko, Chernyavs'kyi, Voloschenko, Lokotosh, Sytnikov, Yevdokymov, Myroshnikov, Ishchenko.
In 1938
"Dzerzhynets"
became champions of Ukraine after having won 9 games and drawn two. It was thus admitted to all-Union competitions, the 1939 Soviet Football Championship Gruppa B (second tier). It made its debut on Friday, 12 May 1939 in away match in
Dnipro
against
Stal Dnipropetrovsk
which Dzerzhynets lost 0:1. The goal was scored by Vasyl Hotselyuk.
[4]
The team was composed of the following players: Pavlo Svidynskyi (goalkeeper), Mykhailo Sukharev, Semen Myroshnikov, Oleksandr Kulahin, Hryhoriy Nosko (all defenders), Mykola Krasyuk, Artavazd Akopyants (both halfbacks), Kostiantyn Pyrohov, Pyotr Buyanov, Mykola Lokotosh, Petro Yurchenko (all forwards).
Post war revival
[
edit
]
After
World War II
, the club was not revived right away. The city of Luhansk was represented by
Dynamo Luhansk
, while in 1949?1951 there was as well a team of the Luhansk regional party administration "Trudovi Rezervy".
[5]
[6]
In 1950
Dynamo Luhansk
merged into Trudovi Rezervy. In 1951 the chief of Trudovi Rezervy's regional administration, Ivan Lomakin; went on trial and the team was liquidated.
[7]
In 1948 "Dzerzhynets" was re-established in the lower leagues of the Ukrainian championship.
[6]
Due to the liquidation of Trudovi Rezervy, Dzerzhynets was allowed to compete among the "mater teams" (Soviet terminology for their professional level).
[7]
Few players from Trudovi Rezervy joined the factory team.
[7]
In 1954, Dzerzhynets was transferred under the administration of the Republican Volunteer Society of "Avanhard" which continued its participation in competitions until 1959.
[8]
Due to a bleak performance of "Avanhard" in 1957 in the city of Voroshilovhrad, it was revived as another club "Trudovi Rezervy"
[7]
which this time comprised students from the Leningrad
Technicum
of Physical Culture and Sports (today College of Physical Culture and Sports of the
Saint Petersburg State University
).
After the liquidation of Avanhard in 1959, in 1960 in Luhansk the October Revolution (OR) Factory team.
[9]
was established.
Modern period
[
edit
]
During the already ongoing 1964 season and playing several rounds, on 10 April 1964 the Soviet Football Federation issued its decision about merger of two clubs "Trudovi Rezervy" and OR Factory team (SC Zorya) into FC Zorya Voroshilovhrad.
[10]
In 1972 Zorya did not only win its only Soviet championship, but also represented, re-enforced with only three players from other clubs, the USSR at the
Brazilian Independence Cup
(
Taca Independencia
) mid-year. However, only
Volodymyr Onyshchenko
represented the club at the
Final of the European Football Championship
few weeks earlier.
In 1992 the club was acquired by a Moscow Science-Production Association "MALS" and participated in the competition of the
Ukrainian Top League
.
[11]
[12]
[13]
In the season 2005?06 the team won first place in the
Persha Liha
, and had been promoted to the
Vyscha Liha
. Zorya was one of the original twenty teams to debut for
the first season
of the
Ukrainian Premier League
. The team played for five seasons until the
1995?96 season
in which they finished eighteenth and were sent down to the Persha Liha. Zorya relegated to
Druha Liha
in 1996?97 season but she returned to
Persha Liha
in 2003?04 season.
The
War in Donbas
which started in 2014 made the team relocate to
Zaporizhzhia
, as Luhansk was seized by the Russian-backed
Luhansk People's Republic
forces. In 2016 the team had advanced sufficiently in the standings that they were involved in the European wide play-offs in the
UEFA Europa League
. In the 2016-17
Europa League
season, Zorya Luhansk played group matches against
Feyenoord
,
Fenerbahce
, and
Manchester United
.
Names
[
edit
]
- Predecessors
- 1923?35: FC Metallist Lugansk
(city was renamed to Voroshilovgrad in 1935)
- 1936?40: FC Dzerzhinets Voroshilovgrad
(dissolved due to the
war
; named after
Felix Dzerzhinsky
)
- 1948?53: FC Dzerzhinets Voroshilovgrad
(team transferred under
Avanhard
sports society
)
- 1953?59: FC Avangard Voroshilovgrad
(reorganized, city was renamed to Lugansk in 1958)
- Trudovi Rezervy
- 1949?51: Trudovye Rezervy Voroshilovgrad
(team liquidated, criminal proceedings)
- 1957?64: Trudovye Rezervy Lugansk
(new team; team merged into SC Zorya)
- Zorya
- 1960?64: SC Zaria Lugansk
(revived as the
OR
Factory
sports club and reorganized)
- 1964?70: FC Zaria Lugansk
(merged with Trudovi Rezervy to united football club)
- 1970?90: FC Zaria Voroshilovgrad
(city was renamed to Voroshilovgrad in 1970)
- 1990?91: FC Zaria Lugansk
(city was renamed back to Lugansk in 1990)
- 1992?96: FC Zorya-MALS Luhansk
(renamed with adding of the sponsor name)
- 1996?present: FC Zorya Luhansk
(Ukrainian period, modern team)
Colours and badge
[
edit
]
The clubs colours are black and white. In 2010 the club adopted own mascot, a black-white cat which after the club's relocation also moved to
Zaporizhia
.
The club's current badge was adopted after 2010 and was completely redesigned. In early 1990s the club's badge also carried the brand of local company "MALS". Earlier badges had a silhouette of an oncoming locomotive.
Stadium(s)
[
edit
]
The oldest stadium in Luhansk is Lenin Stadium, built in 1922, and for long time was the main city stadium.
[14]
In March 1951, the
Voroshilov Stadium
was opened in Luhansk, with a capacity of 7,447 seats.
[15]
The stadium belonged to the Lokomotiv production association
Luhanskteplovoz
. In 1961 it was renamed "Avanhard". Since 1962 it became the home for Trudovi Rezervy and later Zorya. In 2000?2002, the stadium was sold and became the property of the city. In 2003, Avanhard was fully renovated.
Following the
Russian aggression against Ukraine
, in 2014 Zorya relocated to
Zaporizhia
where it plays at
Slavutych Arena
.
Reserve team
[
edit
]
The reserve team of Zorya,
Zorya Luhansk Reserves
(Ukrainian: ФК ≪Зоря≫ Луганськ дубль) are playing in the
Ukrainian Premier Reserve League
.
MediaMix Concept, D & M, Lir, and also Steel Symphony.
Football kits and sponsors
[
edit
]
Years
[16]
|
Kit manufacturer
|
Shirt sponsor
|
2006?07
|
Umbro
|
?
|
2007?09
|
Puma
|
2009?10
|
dm bank
[17]
|
2010?11
|
Nike
|
?
|
2011?15
|
Holsten
|
2015?17
|
?
|
2017?21
|
Favorite Sport
|
2021?22
|
Marsbet
|
2022?23
|
?
|
2023?
|
Puma
|
?
|
Honours
[
edit
]
Since 1960 the
football championship of the Ukrainian SSR
among "teams of masters" was conducted as part of the Class B competitions which at first were second tier and later third tier until completely phased away. Afterwards, Ukrainian football competitions were adopted into one of zones of the
Soviet Second League
.
Another all-Ukrainian football competitions among "collectives of physical culture" (KFK) were conducted since 1964 that were ongoing until 1991 and sometimes are confused for the actually championship mentioned before. Neither Trudovi rezervy or Zorya played in competitions among collectives of physical culture", but did play in football championship of Ukrainian SSR which until 1959 was not considered as a competition among teams of masters.
Domestic competitions
[
edit
]
Soviet Union
[
edit
]
Ukraine
[
edit
]
Current squad
[
edit
]
- As of 31 May 2024
[18]
[19]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under
FIFA eligibility rules
. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Out on loan
[
edit
]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under
FIFA eligibility rules
. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Coaches and administration
[
edit
]
Presidents and owners
[
edit
]
Source:
[21]
- 1989?90: Administration Chairman Oleksiy Vintun
- 1990: Club Chairman I. Shyrokyi
- 1990: Club Chairman O. Lyakhov
- 1990?92: President Yuriy Koniayev
- 1992?96: President Volodymyr Tarasenko
- 1996?01: President Dmytro Makarenko
- 2001?02: President Volodymyr Makarov
- 2002?05: President Yuriy Sevastianov
- 2005?07: President Valeriy Shpichka
- 2007?09: President and owner
Valeriy Bukayev
- 2009: Owner Marina Bukayeva
- 2009: President Oleksandr Yehorov
- 2009: President Manolis Pilavov
- 2009?present: President and owner
Yevhen Heller
General directors
[
edit
]
Most capped players
[
edit
]
Top scoring players
[
edit
]
Managers
[
edit
]
First team
[
edit
]
|
|
|
|
- Yuriy Yeliseyev
(April 2000?Nov 2000)
- Serhiy Pohodin
(March 2001?Nov 2001)
- Yuriy Yeliseyev
(March 2002?June 2002)
- Volodymyr Kobzarev
(July 2002?July 2003)
- Oleksiy Chystyakov
(Aug 2003?Sept 2003)
- Yuriy Sevastyanov
(interim)
(Sept 2003)
- Oleksandr Dovbiy
(Sept 2003?June 2004)
- Yuriy Koval
(July 2004?Aug 10, 2006)
- Yuriy Malyhin
(interim)
(Aug 2006)
- Volodymyr Bezsonov
(Aug 25, 2006 ? Nov 3, 2006)
- Yuriy Malyhin
(interim)
(Nov 2006?Jan 2007)
- Oleksandr Kosevych
(Jan 1, 2007 ? March 24, 2008)
- Anatoliy Volobuev
(March 24, 2008 ? May 18, 2009)
- Yuriy Dudnyk
(interim)
(May 18, 2009 ? Sept 23, 2009)
- Yuriy Koval
(Sept 23, 2009 ? Dec 31, 2009)
- Anatoly Chantsev
(Jan 1, 2010 ? Nov 27, 2011)
- Yuriy Vernydub
(Nov 28, 2011 ? May 31, 2019)
- Viktor Skrypnyk
(June 3, 2019 ? Jun 28, 2022)
- Patrick van Leeuwen
(Jun 28, 2022 ? )
|
Reserve team
[
edit
]
Longest serving coaches
[
edit
]
Last Updated after 2020/21 season
[27]
League and Cup history
[
edit
]
FC Zorya Luhansk spent 14 seasons in the Soviet top tier including the Class A Group One and the Top League (1967?1979). The club managed to become champions of the Soviet Union in 1972. Following dissolution of the Soviet Union, as Ukrainian club Zorya spent 20 seasons in the Ukrainian top tier including the Top League and the Premier League (1992?1996 and 2006?present).
The statistics is based on information from the club's official website.
[28]
Metalist, Dzerzhinets, Avanhard, Zorya
[
edit
]
Soviet Union
[
edit
]
Ukraine
[
edit
]
Trudovi Rezervy
[
edit
]
Season
|
Div.
|
Pos.
|
Pl.
|
W
|
D
|
L
|
GS
|
GA
|
P
|
Domestic Cup
|
Europe
|
Notes
|
Trudovi Rezervy / Trudovye Rezervy
|
1949
|
2nd
(Gruppa II. Ukrainskaya Zona)
|
15
|
34
|
9
|
6
|
19
|
44
|
59
|
24
|
|
|
|
|
1950
|
3rd
(Ukraine)
|
1
|
18
|
11
|
4
|
3
|
35
|
18
|
26
|
|
|
|
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
Final group
|
1951
|
1
|
18
|
13
|
4
|
1
|
46
|
10
|
30
|
|
|
|
|
6
|
6
|
0
|
3
|
3
|
6
|
14
|
3
|
Final group
|
Original club disbanded in 1951 and revived in 1957
|
1957
|
2nd
(Klass B)
|
16
|
34
|
6
|
10
|
18
|
18
|
55
|
22
|
1
⁄
2
finals (Zone)
|
|
|
|
1958
|
6
|
30
|
12
|
10
|
8
|
35
|
26
|
34
|
1
⁄
4
finals (Zone)
|
|
|
|
1959
|
4
|
26
|
15
|
3
|
8
|
55
|
31
|
33
|
1
⁄
2
finals (Zone)
|
|
|
|
1960
|
3
|
36
|
19
|
9
|
8
|
69
|
40
|
47
|
|
|
Ukrainian Championship
|
1961
|
2
|
36
|
22
|
7
|
7
|
56
|
23
|
51
|
|
|
|
Ukrainian Championship
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
Playoff
|
1962
|
1
|
24
|
14
|
5
|
5
|
52
|
22
|
33
|
1
⁄
4
finals (Ukraine)
|
|
|
|
1
|
10
|
6
|
4
|
0
|
22
|
11
|
16
|
Champions of Ukraine
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
4
|
Promotional playoff; Reorganization
|
1963
|
2nd
(Klass A. Vtoraya gruppa)
|
5
|
34
|
15
|
11
|
8
|
41
|
26
|
41
|
1
⁄
32
finals
|
|
|
|
FC Trudovi Rezervy Luhansk merged with amateur SC Zorya Luhansk under name FC Zorya Luhansk
|
European record
[
edit
]
- Notes
- 1R
: First round
- 2R
: Second round
- 2Q
: Second qualifying round
- 3Q
: Third qualifying round
- PO
: Play-off round
UEFA club coefficient ranking
[
edit
]
- As of 18 September 2023
[29]
- As of 14 June 2023
[30]
Notes
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
The UPL collective congratulates "Zorya" with its Day of Establishment (Колектив УПЛ в?та? ≪Зорю≫ з Днем заснування!)
. Ukrainian Premier League. 5 May 2021
- ^
a
b
c
Оганов в Грузии, но все еще при деле: кто на самом деле генеральный директор Зари
Archived
September 2, 2023, at the
Wayback Machine
. fanday.net. 17 January 2023
- ^
a
b
Luhansk football
Archived
June 17, 2012, at the
Wayback Machine
at the Our Luhansk football portal.
- ^
Протокол матча: май - Пятница, 12. Мая 1939 - 00:00
. www.football.lg.ua
- ^
The first Trudovi Rezervy
. Luhansk Our Football.
- ^
a
b
1944-1950
. Zarya Lugansk fansite.
- ^
a
b
c
d
1951-1960
. Zarya Lugansk fansite.
- ^
Avanhard Voroshilovhrad
. Luhansk Our Football.
- ^
1958-1960
. Zarya Lugansk fansite
- ^
1963-1964
. Zarya Lugansk fansite.
- ^
Slyvka, K. "
What Geller is still doing for Akhmetov (Що дос? робить Геллер для Ахметова)
". Depo. 23 September 2015
- ^
≪Зоря≫ (Луганськ): представля?мо суперника
Archived
January 21, 2023, at the
Wayback Machine
. fcdynamo.com. Accessed 21 January 2023
- ^
Сьогодн? кропивницька “З?рка” прийма? вдома луганську “Зорю”. Представля?мо суперника
Archived
January 21, 2023, at the
Wayback Machine
. persha.kr.ua. Accessed 21 January 2023
- ^
The Lenin's Stadium (СТАДИОН им. В.И. ЛЕНИНА г. ЛУГАНСК)
Archived
April 9, 2022, at the
Wayback Machine
. football.lg.ua
- ^
The Avanhard Stadium (СТАДИОН "АВАНГАРД" г. ЛУГАНСК)
Archived
April 9, 2022, at the
Wayback Machine
. football.lg.ua
- ^
Jerseys of Ukrainian clubs
Archived
September 25, 2013, at the
Wayback Machine
- ^
"Aeaiacii-Iaeneioi Aaie ? Oii-8 aaieia n ðacaoouie aeoeaaie ? Aecian ? Forbes Oeðaeia"
.
Forbes.ua
.
Archived
from the original on February 15, 2015
. Retrieved
February 15,
2015
.
- ^
"Официальный сайт ФК "Заря" Луганск"
.
Archived
from the original on August 8, 2017
. Retrieved
September 25,
2017
.
- ^
"Zorya"
.
Archived
from the original on July 12, 2019
. Retrieved
August 12,
2022
.
- ^
"Официальный сайт ФК "Заря" - Луганск"
.
Archived
from the original on June 14, 2016
. Retrieved
June 19,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
"Менеджмент"
. Archived from
the original
on June 19, 2016.
- ^
"Официальный сайт ФК "Заря" - Луганск"
.
Archived
from the original on February 28, 2020
. Retrieved
March 15,
2020
.
- ^
"Официальный сайт ФК "Заря" - Луганск"
.
Archived
from the original on November 17, 2020
. Retrieved
December 11,
2020
.
- ^
Экс-гендиректора Зари Рафаилова подозревают в неуплате налогов на колоссальную сумму: он скрывается в россии
Archived
September 2, 2023, at the
Wayback Machine
. fanday.net. 4 July 2023
- ^
Рафаилов: Однажды сложились с Вернидубом деньгами и оплатили сборы Зари в Турции
Archived
September 2, 2023, at the
Wayback Machine
. football.ua. 5 January 2021
- ^
Кому официально принадлежат украинские клубы
Archived
September 2, 2023, at the
Wayback Machine
. ukrrudprom.com. 12 November 2021
- ^
Head coaches (Главные тренеры)
Archived
September 27, 2020, at the
Wayback Machine
. www.zarya.lg.ua
- ^
Club's history
. Zorya website.
- ^
UEFA.com.
"Member associations ? UEFA Coefficients ? Club coefficients"
. UEFA.
Archived
from the original on June 12, 2023
. Retrieved
September 19,
2023
.
- ^
clubelo.com.
"Football Club Elo Ratings"
. ClubElo.
Archived
from the original on September 27, 2023
. Retrieved
September 23,
2023
.
External links
[
edit
]
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Seasons
| Vyshcha Liha
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Premier League
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2024?25
teams
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Former teams
| Active
(lower leagues)
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Defunct
(or amateur)
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Winners
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Golden matches
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Statistics
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General
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Stadiums
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Matches
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Categories
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Seasons
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Seasons
| Gruppa "A"
(Group A)
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Pervaya Gruppa
(First Group)
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Klass "A"
(Class A)
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Vysshaya Liga
(Top League)
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Winners
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Sports societies
and factory teams
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Class B
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Second League
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